OUT IN THE SILENCE
Media Outreach Toolkit
Friends,
Thank you so much for hosting a screening of Out in the Silence in your community! Your fantastic work is starting and spreading conversations about the experiences of LGBTQ people in rural and small-town Oregon—and the outreach and planning for a screening of Out in the Silence is a great way to further that work.
One important component of preparing for a screening event is reaching out to local media to spread the word. Effective media coverage can help reach members of your community who are genuinely struggling with what to think about LGBTQ equality. It can increase the visibility of LGBTQ people and allies in your area. And in some cases, it can even help you find new supporters and members for your group!
In this toolkit, you’ll find everything you need to reach out to local media, including:
· A template press advisory to send out before your event,
· A follow-up script for calling media outlets after you’ve submitted the advisory,
· A sample letter to the editor of your local paper,
· A timeline to guide your work,
· And contact info for folks who can support your fantastic work.
With these resources in hand, If you have questions, want support or need help troubleshooting your media work, don’t hesitate to give us a call!
Sample Media Advisory
{ YOUR LOGO HERE }
Media Advisory
Date: { Date }
Contact: { include the name, email address, and cell number of someone the media can easily, quickly reach }
“OUt In THE Silence” TOUR spurs dialogue IN SMALL TOWN OREGON
“Out in the Silence,” a documentary that has earned national awards, is coming on {date} to {insert your community here}. The film is on a statewide tour of community screenings to inspire new conversations about fairness, equality, inclusion and the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer people in rural Oregon. It is an Official Selection of the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival, and has been called “a stunning documentary” by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The hour-long film will be shown at {time, date and location.} It will be followed by a facilitated community dialogue with the nationally-acclaimed filmmakers Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer, plus {group name / names of local leaders / activists }. The screening is organized by (your organization), a local group based in [location]. According to (organizer's name), the event is aimed at (your purpose).
Exploring topics ranging from religion, safe schools and economic development, to discrimination, tolerance and understanding, OUT IN THE SILENCE offers a compelling model for civic engagement and dialogue and is an ideal tool for bringing people of all ages together to begin the process of building bridges rather than walls on issues that have divided our communities for far too long.
Wilson is drawn back to his hometown to share the story of a teenager tormented at school because he is gay, and the story of his mother’s struggle to get school authorities to do something about it. Wilson strikes up an unexpected friendship with an evangelical pastor and his wife, who all reach new levels of understanding. Wilson shares the story of a lesbian couple who can catalyze the town’s economic revitalization if they find community acceptance. And the film shows individual and community shifts for lasting change that can come from an ongoing commitment to speak out and live openly. For more on the film visit http://outinthesilence.com.
Wilson and Hamer are hoping that the events attract people from across the spectrum ready and willing to engage in constructive dialogue, including students, parents and educators, clergy, health and social service providers, civic leaders, and all those concerned about the well-being of all in their communities.
The OUT IN THE SILENCE tour of rural and small town Oregon is coordinated by the Rural Organizing Project with support from Basic Rights Oregon. The filmmakers, local hosts, and tour organizers are available for interviews.
Quotes:
“Though the film is made by two gay men, it doesn't seek to promote a “gay agenda” or to stereotype the “religious right.” It's simply a matter of trying to understand attitudes in small-town America.” - Christianity Today
“Most moving are the stories of heterosexuals who transform because of their relationships with GLBT people.” - American Library Association
“Film Critic's Pick of The Week” - The New York Times
Media follow-up script
Intro
Hi, I’m calling with an update about a press release submitted a few days ago. Who can I talk with to follow up?
Once you’ve connected with the right person
My name is ______and I’m calling with ______(your local group). I’m calling to follow up on a media advisory we sent in the last few days. We’re holding a local screening of Out in the Silence, a film about the experience of coming out as gay in small-town America. Did you get the release?
Great! We’d love for your readers to learn about the screening, and the people who are putting it together. {If any members of your group know the reporter or are well-known community leaders, mention their involvement here.} How can I connect you to some of the people who are putting the event together?
If YES: Where can they reach you? By what time will you need to connect with them?
If NO: I’m sorry you can’t run a story on the screening. Can you print the time & location as part of your calendar of upcoming community events? What other materials or photos do you need?
{ Take down the details & their information and follow up appropriately. }
Closing
Thank you so much for your time!
Sample Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor,
I’m excited that the directors of the film “Out in the Silence” are coming to our town for a screening and community conversation.
The film shares the stories in a small Pennsylvania town, not unlike our own, of a gay teenager, his mother’s fight to protect him, a pastor and his wife finding that loving compassion is what their faith is all about, and how we all benefit when we really evaluate and live up to what “small town values” really mean.
I hope everyone has a chance to go see the film {insert details here of the time, date, place of the screening if relevant} and meet with the filmmakers in an honest dialogue about what it means to be truly welcoming and treated everyone as we would want to be treated.
For those who will miss it, you can watch it on www.hulu.com and start a conversation with your neighbors.
{ Name }
{ Hometown }
Suggested Press Timeline
First steps:
· Read through this toolkit.
· Call or email Maya if you have any questions or want to brainstorm your approach further.
4 weeks out from your event:
· Identify spokespeople. Figure out who will be talking to the media just to get the word out, and who is willing to be interviewed about the value of the film and community conversation if you get media interest. Make sure that person is prepared; give a call to Maya if you need help in that regard.
· Research deadlines and create a plan. Find out the submission deadlines for your local paper and make a plan to meet those deadlines. Come up with a calendar of when/where/how and by whom to send out info; weeklies will need at least 10 days advance notice and dailies/TV/radio at least five days, but check with your local publication as to their deadlines.
· Pick your targets. Check out media outlet websites to see who might be a good fit to receive a press release. Think broadly! Consider editors and reporters who work on features, community, and government. And don’t forget about local bloggers and newsletters. You know your community best so think about what you want to accomplish and perhaps it’s the editor, who might end up writing an editorial about community dialogue, you want to reach out to.
3 weeks out from your event:
· Submit press advisories. Revise and use attached template press release as needed, fill out online calendar submission forms.
· Gather photos from the film, and of local leaders who will be on hand for the event. You can find pictures from the film at http://wpsu.org/outinthesilence/presskit_index .
2 weeks out from your event:
· Call media outlets. If you haven’t heard from media outlets a couple of days after you send out your advisories, make a call, confirm if the media outlet received your press release, and see if they have any questions. Try to ferret out what might make them more interested—like providing a photo, having an interview with someone from your local group, etc.
One week before your event:
· Use social media! Post on Facebook and Twitter about your screening and why it’s so important to get your community talking.
The day before your event:
· Finish social media follow up. Use Facebook & Twitter to share the basic logistical details to get folks there and end with “Let’s Talk!”
1